Best Manual Meat Grinder: Reviews and a Complete Guide

Ground meat is an essential in﻿gredient in a lot of meals but with the prevalence of producers trying to trick consumers, you're never completely sure about the quality of your meat.

The best way to ensure that you're getting the best quality is by getting the best manual meat grinder and grinding your own meat at home. This way you can not only be sure that you're having 100% meat you can also have control over the fat content of your ground meat.

Whether you are making Meatloaf or Arroz ala Cubana, making sure that you're getting the best quality of meat is important in ensuring that what you're saving is safe and of great quality.

Below I have listed the best manual meat grinders on the market. I also dedicated a section for other tips which will surely help you get the best out of your grinder.

This Bellemain has a simple crank operation which would let you have complete control over the grinding of your meat.

The crank is made in a way which ensures that you won’t have to be Now you won’t have to wonder what exactly is inside your burgers and tacos because making them by yourself is made easy.

This also includes a meat pusher and grinding blade disc so you won’t have to buy them separately. The meat pusher is made of the same high quality plastic of the body of the grinder while the blade is stainless steel.

Aside from all these, it is also easy to clean. It is dishwasher safe and it is easy to take apart so you can clean each part.

PROS

It has a suction base so your grinder is stopped from slipping off.

The body is made of high quality plastic so it is very durable.

The quality of the ground meat, whether pork, chicken, or beef, that I get from this is amazing.

CONS

The suction is great but for you to get the most of it, you should use it over a metal surface. I noticed that when I used it over my tiled countertop the suction wasn’t as good as when I tried it on top of my stovetop.

Some parts of the meat gets stuck on the blade if you use it for a long time or with a high volume of meat, so make sure to check your blade constantly.

This Gideon meat grinder is great for those who do not have a lot of space in their kitchen or for those who want something portable since it compact and small. But even though it is small it is still very powerful.

It has a durable plastic body and has a stainless steel blade which means that it won’t rust even after years of use.The quality of the meat you’ll get from this grinder is also as good and sometimes even better than a lot of store-bought ground meat.

It is also safe and comfortable to use. It has a disc cover so your blade is not exposed preventing any accidents to happen.

PROS

It has a suction base and a disc cover so it is extremely safe to use.

It is made of great quality materials so you can use it for years.

CONS

The crank gets a bit difficult to turn for the first couple of uses.

You need to use not just cold meat but really frozen meat to get your meat ground.

This Kitchen Basics meat grinder is a perfect match for those who want something flexible and versatile. You can’t just grind meat with this, you can also mince vegetables so you won’t have to buy a separate food processor.

Aside from this, you can even make your own pasta with this! Once you’ve ground all your meat and minced all your veggies you can also make your own sausage.

Aside from all that this grinder is easy to use and includes all the pieces you need. It is also easy to clean so you won’t have to worry about the hassle. The body is also of great quality and the blade also very durable.

PROS

You can grind vegetables and not just meat with this so it very versatile.

You can stuff sausages and also make pasta with this machine.

CONS

There is a suction base but it doesn’t hold on to the surface well so it still ends up slipping off.

The outside and blade are easy to clean but if you want to clean the whole thing you would get lots of trouble because it is hard to take apart.

What I really liked about this Aliskid meat grinder is that it has a long handle so you won’t need that much hand power to crank it.

The body of the grinder is also very durable and is made of food grade material which is certainly great for those who worry about BPA in their plastics. This is also multi-functional so you can mince vegetables, peanuts, and of course grind meat with this.

It has a suction base but you should note that it works bets on non-wood surfaces so if your countertop or table is made of wood then you might need to pass on this.

PROS

It is multi-functional allowing me to mince vegetables and grind meat with just one tool.

It is also easy to use and set-up. Taking it apart for cleaning is also a breeze.

CONS

The instructions are very hard to follow so it took me a while to figure out how to use it.

The great thing about this Norpro meat grinder is that unlike most of the grinders on this list it gives you a choice between a fine grind or a coarse grind. This will give you more control over the quality of your meat as well as give you more variety of what you can make.

Aside from this, it also includes five pasta attachments and a sausage filler. These extras are great but when it comes to the quality of the meat and the quality of the grinder itself it is a bit lacking.

PROS

A fine and coarse grinder plate is included for a more personalized type of meat.

It also includes five pasta attachments so you have a choice between the type of pasta that you can make.

CONS

The grinder is really hard to use. I found that I need to exert more effort with this grinder compared to the other ones.

It also very hard to clean and a lot of grease and fat gets stuck to the blade.

What to Look For?

1. Durability

When you’re buying anything, the durability of the product should be your top priority. You wouldn’t want to spend money on something that will just last you a couple of uses. There is often a misconception that price is related to the quality of the product.

There are times when this holds true but in general, the make of your meat grinder is what should give you the hint of its quality. Grinders that are made well shouldn’t have any bolts and pieces that are loose.

The lever should also be attached well to the body. As for the blade, it should be thick enough so that it wouldn’t bend easily.

2. Ergonomic Design

When I had my first meat grinder, I got really annoyed because it was so hard to use and it causes my hands to have redness and even callouses. I realized that this was because my meat grinder was not designed ergonomically.

So you won’t experience the same thing as I did, I suggest that you get one which has rubber on its lever. The handle of the crank (lever) should also be not too thick nor too thin so you’ll have better grip. Aside from these, it would also be best if the base has suction so it wouldn’t slip off the table.

3. Safety

Since grinders have sharp blades, you should also ensure that it’s safe to use. The blade shouldn’t be exposed. This is a priority especially if you have small children or if you’re clumsy like me. You should get a grinder that has a protective covering.

Having a grinder with a suction base will also ensure your safety. The suction will stop your grinder from falling off even if you put a lot of pressure on it.

4. Ease of Cleaning

The reason why a lot of people try to stay clear of DIY food preparations is that of the cleaning that comes afterward. If cleaning is a hassle for you, you’ll be glad to know that there are a lot of grinders which let you clean it hassle-free.

The signs of an easy-to-clean grinder are that the blade shouldn’t let meat stick to it. It would also be great if the blade and other pieces are dishwasher safe.

How to Take Care of your Meat Grinder?

No matter how great your meat grinder is if you do not care for it well it will not last and will not perform as best as it could. I have made a lot of novice mistakes before with how I took care of my manual meat grinders.

Because of these mistakes. I end up breaking my meat grinders prematurely. Below are fool-proof ways on how to keep your grinders in tip-top shape!

Make Sure that your Blade is Sharpened

You should see to it that the blade of your grinder is not dull. Grinding with a dull blade will just cause you to have bad results with grinding. Not only this, you might also damage your blade even more if you don’t sharpen it immediately.

Another way to maintain the sharpness of your blade is by cleaning it after every use. This would remove any neat products that might get stuck on your blade.

Cut Meat Well

Hard materials like sinew and small bones may cause you to have a lot of difficulties while grinding.

These won’t just make your ground meat sub-quality, it can also damage your blade. Aside from this, it can cause difficulty for you while you are manually turning the lever making your grinding uncomfortable and even painful.

Only Cut Cold Meat

The temperature of the meat is also important for you in obtaining the best quality of ground meat. Cutting meat that’s room temperature will just cause its natural fat to squeeze out making your meat smudgy.

This doesn’t just make grinding very messy, you’ll also end up with meat that’s dry since all the oil has been squeezed out. Aside from this, your blade is also more vulnerable to have meat stuck making it more prone to dullness.

My Verdict

Overall I would have to say that the Bellemain meat grinder would be my top choice. It's very inexpensive and still gives you the same quality that you would get from the more expensive choices.

I also love that it has a suction base which makes it safer for you to use. The included blade and meat pusher is also a huge plus and it made a huge difference in my speed and productivity.

Getting your own meat grinder will help you have control what you feed your family. This will help you have healthier food since you have complete control over what goes inside your hash.

Just remember that when you're choosing your own grinder that you tick off all the boxes and that you also take good care of it and it'll surely last you a long time.

I hope this article helped you in choosing the grinder for you. If you think I missed out on your favorites or if you have other tips you want to share please comment them below. Till next time, happy cooking!

Emily Mathews

Hi, I am Emily Mathews. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee, where I learned how to cook fabulous local dishes from my Mother. I have 3 children and they enable me to cook from my heart every day. I am also passionately interested in creating globally inspired food with locally grown ingredients.

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